The Indianapolis Colts head into Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline at 3-5 after suffering their third straight loss in a 38-27 defeat to the New Orleans Saints.
A strong start could still incentivize the Colts to buy at the trade deadline and bolster their playoff hopes, but recent results might encourage general manager Chris Ballard to go in the other direction and ship some players elsewhere.
What are some potential moves the franchise could look to make at the deadline?
Indianapolis Colts Trade Deadline Moves
Trade RB Zack Moss
Zack Moss emerged as the featured back for the Colts earlier in the season, but the return of running back Jonathan Taylor has made Moss somewhat expendable for the franchise.
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A fourth-year running back, Moss is amid the best season of his career to date. He has amassed 125 carries for 589 yards and five touchdowns in seven appearances this season and shared running back duties with Taylor on Sunday’s loss to the Saints.
Still, Moss is in the final year of his rookie contract, and it will be tough to justify paying him the kind of money he will demand this summer, given the long-term contract extension Taylor recently signed with the Colts. The three-year, $42 million deal has $26.5 million in guarantees and comes with the expectation that he will carry the load in the backfield.
Thus, getting as much value as possible for Moss at the deadline seems to be the smartest option for Indianapolis. Teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, or even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be interested in Moss’ services at the right price.
At any rate, moving Moss seems to make all too much sense if the Colts’ asking price is not too high.
Trade S Julian Blackmon
Julian Blackmon is another player coming up on the end of his rookie deal who could make sense for Indianapolis to move on from if they are not prepared to pay him this offseason.
The fourth-year safety has largely been a productive player since being selected with a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He tallied 50 tackles (36 solo), two tackles for a loss, two pass breakups, and one interception returned for a touchdown last season and is up to 56 tackles (38 solo), five tackles for a loss, and three pass breakups through eight games in 2023.
Again, potentially moving on from Blackmon is largely contingent on whether he is in the franchise’s plans or not. The Los Angeles Chargers are one team that could use help at safety, as could the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Baltimore Ravens to a slightly lesser extent.
Given Blackmon’s production, it might make sense to cash out on him now if the right deal is available.
Trade WR Michael Pittman Jr.
This deal makes perhaps a bit less sense given the fact that Michael Pittman Jr. is the team’s leading receiver and potentially a nice weapon to keep around in the long term for Anthony Richardson, but his expiring contract will also force Indianapolis to make a decision.
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On one hand, Pittman is up to 50 catches for 529 yards and three touchdowns through eight weeks of the season and has been a critical part of the Colts’ offense. Rookie Josh Downs and second-year player Alec Pierce have both been productive behind Pittman and have multiple years of their rookie deals remaining.
If Indianapolis has faith in those players to both be important parts of their wide receiver room for the foreseeable future, getting what value it can out of Pittman now could make sense. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions could stand to bolster their receiving corps at the deadline.
It’s ultimately unclear how much the Colts want to invest in Pittman, but they seem to have a pair of players behind him who better fit their timeline and, thus, could at least explore moving the veteran.
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